Roby Bowe
Lincoln County Sheriff, Roby Bowe. Photo by Kootenai Valley Record.
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Sheriff-elect reviews plans for department
by Kootenai Valley Record
December 3, 2010
After 20 years with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Roby Bowe is looking forward to moving into the department’s top position in January.
"I’m excited," Bowe said. "I’m ready."
Bowe, who currently serves as patrol captain, defeated Rex Nichols of Eureka by a margin of 4,659 votes to 2,232 in the Nov. 2 election, carrying all precincts except Fortine. The outcome of the election indicates that something is right in the sheriff’s office, Bowe said.
"If we didn’t have good people in here now, the voters wouldn’t have voted me in," he said. "They would have wanted a change."
Bowe said he plans to move forward with a philosophy of hiring the best people for open slots in the department.
"Great people in slots are an asset to the community, and they’re an asset to the sheriff’s department," he said. "That’s what makes the sheriff’s department."
The department will be hiring one new officer to fill an open position and maintain the current roster of 20 sworn deputies, including four based in Eureka and one in Troy, Bowe said. The search is also on for a certified officer to fill in for half a year while current Troy-based Deputy Brandon Holzer is away on military duty, he added.
Bowe has selected Deputy Brent Faulkner to serve as undersheriff. The two have worked together on and off for the past two decades.
"His strengths are some of my weaknesses, and vice versa," Bowe said.
Bowe cited Faulkner’s supervisory experience, work ethic and attention to detail as assets in the undersheriff position.
Jerry Rust, who currently serves as undersheriff to Sheriff Daryl Anderson, will be staying on with the department to help with the transition until retiring sometime in early 2011, Bowe said.
As sheriff, Bowe said he plans to work on improving communications with the public, keeping up with new technology in the dispatch area, and meeting challenges with the county’s detention facility, which is often filled to capacity with no room for expansion.
Bowe grew up in Libby and became a reserve deputy with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at the age of 18. He became a full-time deputy in 1990 and has been with the sheriff’s office ever since. He is also a longtime member of David Thompson Search and Rescue and serves as the organization’s law enforcement liaison.
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Editor's Note: See the November 30, 2010 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Tuesdays, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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